One way to measure a sermon or study is to look back to see if the speaker got more out of it than just new material.  Some describe it as living with the sermon before it is delivered.  This is not a given in any week of preparation.  One can study for hours yet not really gain much personally out of the effort.  Not everyone will admit to that but it is true.  Let me also add that you really have to try hard to miss a meaning with your exposure to scripture.  But this does not mean it cannot happen.  Maybe it is similar to the believer who cannot connect what they believe to how they live.  Neither situation leads to a good outcome.

We are beginning yet another new study for the next few weeks.  Easter is approaching so my first task was to look through the lectionary which contains suggested texts for a given week.  Many of our mainline congregations use this for every Sunday of the year.  My usual approach is to look through it during the times of Easter and Christmas.  I concluded this year that there are good ideas for the next few weeks but not enough to just utilize it every Sunday.  The setting for the Easter season is in the gospel of Luke.  Some of the Sundays will find me picking up on the scripture suggested.  I also decided to use a few other texts from Luke even if not in the lectionary.  I say all of this to only point out how my brain works to get ready.  It may not be for everyone but it helps me. 

So we began today with looking at the temptation of Jesus for our study.  We sometimes are so familiar with scripture that we overlook the possibility to learn something new.  Most will tell you they know the story but fail to relate to it for their personal growth.  Others live in a way where temptation or testing is no bother to them.  What we really learn is those who desire great things of God often encounter the forces of evil in various ways.  Being an intentional follower does not mean the absence of trials but may mean the opposite.  Courage is needed to face such times in our world.  Evil never will casually approach us but it will come at us full force.  Divine boldness will serve as a huge asset in our battle. 

There is one thing we often note when we think about that temptation moment.  Lots of emphasis is drawn to Jesus quoting scripture in the conflict.  Memorizing verses does matter but my mind wondered if there is more to it than that.  Every verse spoken by Jesus is one from experience not just a good idea.  They are words forged in the divine moment which gain power as we live with God.  They are powerful simply because they are the words of God but also because we experience Him in our journey.  One of the great temptations is to know about God but never truly depend on Him in our heart.  Jesus is doing far more than remembering bible verses.  He is declaring a dependence on God born of real life faith.  That's what I gain from today's study.  God is the one we discover in our tests.  It's not just about what we avoid.  The tests are also about who we lean on to see us through to the other side.

Bro. Trey